Farewell to Zambeze Delta Safaris

And, before we knew it, it was time to board the helicopter and head back to the Beira airport…..

We were quickly skimming along the runway and heading over the forest…..

When we left here back in 2023, I wrote the following. I changed the names to represent this current trip but the sentiments are the same……

There is something about C11 that gets under your skin!! Even with finding scorpions on my bedspread, collecting a leach on the floodplain and showering with brown water, I would return in a heartbeat

Seeing the animals roaming freely and living their lives in an area where no animals used to exist gives credence to Mark Haldanes vision. And the vision continues with lions, cheetahs and now even pangolins.

But the true heart of C11 are the people. Mark’s irascible personality infects everyone in camp and you are immediately considered part of the family!!

As I said goodbye to the camp managers it was with a very heavy heart but I know that they will continue to bring joy to many others who come after me

I am thankful for those camp helpers who took care of our every need, from bringing a pot of tea each morning to returning our washed clothes each evening.

Ben, Tasco and Jorge (our guide and trackers) were amazing, always on the lookout for animals but equally attentive to our personal needs

I am writing this as we fly back to Beira and civilization and honestly I am tearing up as I think about all of these lovely people.

So….thank you Mark Haldane and everybody at Coutada 11….you guys are the very best!!!

After a night in Johannesburg and an easy trip back to Atlanta, I can say that our 2026 African adventure is over.

But don’t worry… There are more adventures in 2027, including a trip to the Arctic Ocean (living in an Inuit village) and 10 days in Spain, fulfilling my lifelong dream of visiting Barcelona.

Thanks for joining me!!

Michael and I love to travel and see new parts of the world and then I love to take those memories and turn them into quilts!!! I hope that you enjoy traveling along with us!!

Be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss a single trip!!

Meat for a village

Last weekend, I talked about finding a buffalo that could provide meat for the local village.

We arrived there around 9:00, to find that there was a celebration in progress…..

The singing and dancing continued as the men of the village cut up the buffalo meat and distributed it to the women.

I giggled at one woman who walked over and took away the bucket being used as a drum, and added it to the lineup of waiting buckets.

After the distribution, the village “secretary” signed the receipt for the meat…..

This is done because the Mozambique government allows a certain number of “village” buffalo to be taken each year, and this is the documentation that they need.

We spent the rest of the day driving on the outskirts of the floodplain and enjoying the scenery.

These white trees are called “Fever Trees”…..

They were named that by some of the first settlers, who noticed that many people fell ill with “the fever” after sleeping under the trees. The truth is that malaria-carrying mosquitoes loved the trees and the mosquitos would bite the sleepers….

The area is dotted with the VERY tall “Fan Palm” trees…..

Lunch was served in style….

Ben even offered to put up two hammocks and let us take an after-lunch nap. It was VERY tempting!!

Ben is a woodworker and showed us lots of different types of trees. I was particularly enamored with the Ebony tree…..

Look at how black the wood is…..

These lily pads and flowers brightened my day as we walked…

This is our last night at ZDS and we enjoyed our final “firepit” and amazing desert….

Come back tomorrow for some final thoughts!!

Michael and I love to travel and see new parts of the world and then I love to take those memories and turn them into quilts!!! I hope that you enjoy traveling along with us!!

Be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss a single trip!!

On the Floodplain

We were still on the hunt for an old Cape Buffalo that we could give to the village to provide meat for the families. Since we had not found the one in the forest area, it was time to head to the floodplains.

These floodplains are extremely flat, low-lying areas associated with the Zambezi Delta. During the wet season, water spreads across portions of this landscape. As water levels subsequently fall, the exposed ground supports productive grasses and other vegetation.

The area provides an interesting landscape, with large open areas and small islands of trees….

Because of the varied terrain on the floodplain, they use a particular vehicle called a “Bandvagn”. It runs on two tracks, similar to a tank, and is amphibious as well.

We picked up our trusty steed at a camp close to the floodplain….

It is not a particularly comfortable ride, but what this vehicle can do is amazing.

Notice how easily it transitioned from dry land to crossing a stream and then back to dry land again!!

We stopped numerous times for Ben to “glass” the area for animals. His favorite perch was on the highest point of the vehicle!!

Unfortunately, because the vehicle is so loud (as you heard), it can only be driven up to a certain point. Then you have to cross the area on foot.

AND, because the floodplain is littered with swampy areas, you end up having to cross some. We had to cross ONE!! The water was almost up to my waist, and the mud was thick and sticky, meaning that your feet would slide all the way under the mud and then you would have to pull your feet out to continue. Our guide, Ben, told us to point our toes when we were pulling out of the mud, and it would help. Unfortunately, it is hard to pull your feet out like that AND maintain your balance!!

That was where Jorge came in to play. As I struggled through the water and mud, he magically appeared at my right elbow, placed his hand under my armpit, and somehow kept me upright as we crossed. We were both all smiles when we got to the other side….

I had on lightweight nylon pants, and this was how I looked after the crossing….

Fortunately, it was warm, and the pants soon dried. The shoes were disgusting and, upon arrival in camp, were whisked away to be washed. They were dry and ready for us the next day!!

We spent most of the day on the floodplain, and finally killed a Cape Buffalo that would be appropriate for the village food stores.

Now came one of the most surreal parts of the trip. Ben needed to communicate with the camp (his wife) and tell her of our arrival time, etc. There was NO cell phone service in the area, so he pulled out a box that contained a Starlink Mini, set it up on the front of the BV and, just like that, we had SCREAMING FAST internet….in the middle of the bush of Mozambique!!

Technology is amazing!!

Next weekend, we will finish up our trip to Mozambique, including delivering much-appreciated meat to the villages and a fond farewell. Be sure to come back for that!!

Michael and I love to travel and see new parts of the world and then I love to take those memories and turn them into quilts!!! I hope that you enjoy traveling along with us!!

Be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss a single trip!!

Helping a Village!!

Zambese Delta Safaris focuses on the conservation of habitat… animals, flora, and most importantly, people!!

They recently discovered that there was an area at the edge of their concession that was in limbo…. C-11 thought that C-12 owned it and C-12 thought that C-11 owned it!! It actually was part of the Coutada 11 (Zambese Delta Safaris) property.

They also discovered that there was a village in the area that no one really knew anything about. As the people from ZDS approached them, they were told a story of an old Cape Buffalo that was getting too close to the village and was threatening the people of the village.

This is the sort of thing that ZDS does best…..so they sent out a team (us, our guide Ben, and two trackers named Tasco and Jorge) to find this problem buffalo, kill it, and turn it into meat for the village.

When we drove into the village, Ben commented that they possibly had never seen a white woman before. That was an interesting thought.

We stopped at the local school, and it was fun to see the classroom….

….with the blackboard with yesterday’s math problem….

The girls wore interesting expressions….

…while the boys stood in the standard, defiant pose…

I have found that this defiance lessens if you smile and wave. Even the oldest will smile and wave back.

Two of the young men offered to show us where the buffalo often stayed, so we took off walking! The young men would stop every so often and point to where we were headed….

We passed a number of wells as we walked….

None of them had any safety measures, and who knows how deep they were.

Jorge and one of the helpers climbed to the top of a termite mound to get a better view….

Yes, it was over 10 feet tall!!

Apparently, Black Mambas like these mounds as well, so you are always vigilant when you are around them.

This was my scene for much of the trip…..

Yes, they are carrying firearms. Remember that this is a 1000+ pound animal that can turn you into goo at a moment’s notice.

You can see that I stay behind everyone else!!

Because of recent rains, the grass was quite tall, and at one point I found myself with this view….

I was only out of their sight-line for a few seconds, but it seemed MUCH longer. Needless to say, I hurried to catch up!!

We never found the buffalo, and the tracks indicated that it had moved into the neighboring Concession, meaning that the ZDS guys couldn’t do anything about it.

HOWEVER, when we were walking back to the village, the trackers started talking excitedly, finally telling us that the buffalo had crossed over our path AFTER we had walked past. Who knows how close he was with no one knowing that he was there.

As another example of the work of ZDS, while we were there, another village reported that there were 10 elephants in their village, destroying the crops and generally wreaking havoc. Mark Haldane jumped into one of the small helicopters and “pushed” them out of the village and escorted them several miles away.

At ZDS, human life and welfare always come first!!

So ended our adventure in the forest areas of C-11….. tomorrow we head to the floodplain.

Michael and I love to travel and see new parts of the world and then I love to take those memories and turn them into quilts!!! I hope that you enjoy traveling along with us!!

Be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss a single trip!!

A Quiet Day in the African Bush

We were asked what we wanted to do first, and both opted for a quieter day!!

Each morning started with Cowboy coffee around the fire pit, with lots of breakfast options. Although we both wanted a full breakfast, we were good and just had toast!!

After lunch, we went out for a drive, with me enjoying riding on the back of the truck…..

….camera at the ready!!

And I wasn’t disappointed….

Our first sighting were Sable….

They are so stately!!

These vultures aren’t as pretty, but are certainly interesting…..

It was also a thrill to see a Saddle-Billed Stork…..

If you remember, “Sadie” was inspired by a stork photo from a previous trip….

On previous trips, I have seen lots of animals from the air, including a herd of Zebra. We were thrilled to see this herd…..

….and this one a little closer…..

Sadly, this one had a poacher’s snare hooked around his leg. Unless it is removed soon, he will probably not survive!!

Warthogs are ubiquitous here……

We stopped at the third C-11 camp…. Bombala.

As we walked up the path, Ben stopped us and pointed to a print in the dirt….

….telling us that it was a lion track.

Next, he pointed to another, stating that it was a lion cub….

Then he found a hyena print….

…..followed by a Baboon paw print…..

I am amazed at how the guides see all of these!

Dinner that night started out with this luscious peach appetizer…..

….and ended with this decadent desert….

All in all a VERY GOOD day!!

Michael and I love to travel and see new parts of the world and then I love to take those memories and turn them into quilts!!! I hope that you enjoy traveling along with us!!

Be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss a single trip!!